ABSTRACT
Elite athletes face tremendous pressures to perform and achieve success in sport. Although skill and talent are predictors of athletic achievement, body weight and body composition are also important contributors. Many elite athletes attempt to achieve an ideal body shape or weight in order to meet the demand of competition, conform to the standards or ideals of their sport, and improve performance. These pressures
Introduction ............................................................................................................ 131 Energy and Macronutrient Recommendations ....................................................... 133 Dietary Intake Patterns ........................................................................................... 135 Aesthetic Sports ..................................................................................................... 136
Dancers .............................................................................................................. 136 Figure Skating ................................................................................................... 141 Gymnastics ........................................................................................................ 149 Synchronized Swimming .................................................................................. 157
Weight-Class Sports ............................................................................................... 159 Jockeys .............................................................................................................. 159 Mixed Martial Arts ............................................................................................ 161 Rowing .............................................................................................................. 167 Ski Jumping ....................................................................................................... 174 Wrestlers ........................................................................................................... 176
Dietary Supplements of Aesthetic and Weight-Class Sports ................................. 181 Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 183 References .............................................................................................................. 184
are especially high among athletes competing in aesthetic and weight-class sports (Bachner-Melman et al. 2006; Brownell et al. 1987; de Bruin et al. 2007; Pettersson et al. 2012; Sundgot-Borgen and Garthe 2011; Sundgot-Borgen and Torstveit 2010). These sports place an emphasis on leanness, aesthetic appeal, and/or achieving a specific body weight prior to competition. Due to these demands, the frequency of disordered eating and eating disorders is higher among athletes participating in sports that emphasize leanness and a thinner ideal body shape, compared to athletes participating in sports without such a focus (Bachner-Melman et al. 2006; de Bruin et al. 2007; Rosendahl et al. 2009; Smolak et al. 2000; Sundgot-Borgen and Torstveit 2004). Although the regulations and characteristics of aesthetic and weight-class sports differ, these sports report similar concerns regarding body shape and image.
